also: あー
Expresses strong emotion: surprise, realization, admiration, or lament. The literary kanji forms 嗚呼, 噫, 嗟 are occasionally used in writing.
ああ、なんて美しい景色なんだ。
Ah, what a beautiful view!
ああ、もう終わってしまったのか。
Oh, it's already over.
Used as an affirmative response, often with a falling intonation. Slightly casual.
「これ、君の？」「ああ、そうだよ。」
"Is this yours?" "Yeah, that's right."
aah; gah; argh
Expresses frustration, exasperation, or giving up. Often drawn out.
ああ、もう！何度言ったらわかるんだ。
Argh, come on! How many times do I have to tell you?
Used to call someone's attention, similar to 'hey' or 'yo'. Informal.
ああ、ちょっと待ってよ。
Hey, wait a sec.
Backchanneling or half-hearted agreement during conversation. Can sound dismissive if overused.
「明日までにやっておいて。」「ああ、わかった。」
"Get it done by tomorrow." "Yeah, got it."
うん is the everyday casual word for 'yeah', while ああ used as an affirmative sounds blunter and more masculine.
あっ is a short, sudden exclamation of surprise, whereas ああ can express a longer, more drawn-out realization or admiration.
まあ expresses mild, often pleasant surprise, while ああ can carry stronger emotion such as lament or awe.
おい is a rougher, more insistent call for attention than the milder ああ used as 'hey'.
Standard hiragana spelling for this interjection.
Common variant with a long vowel mark, often used in casual writing.
Literary kanji form; rarely used in modern writing.
A natural exclamation; the exact origin is uncertain. The kanji forms 嗚呼 etc. are ateji borrowed from classical Chinese.